Ken Pomeroy – Hallways
Review by: Montana Sullivan
On the liner notes of her 2nd album Hallways, Ken Pomeroy says that songwriting is her way of dealing with emotional circumstances, and this becomes very apparent when listening to the songs she wrote on this album. Her vocals on each song communicate such rich feeling and experience that it was hard for me to believe at first that she was as young as she is!
The production on the album compliments her voice and writing style well; the packaged CD makes a big deal over it being recorded on 4track cassette for a “unique” sound. This does work, and it makes the album sound intimate, almost as if it was recorded for one person to listen to (and the rest of us are somehow eavesdropping). As such, this album demands to be listened on headphones – there are so many tiny intricacies in the production that makes each sound stand out, such as the shy mandolin on “Deprived” or the bass synth and electric piano on “Three Wonderful Words”. Some songs like “Be There” and “Hallways” wash the vocals and instrumentation with reverb which, while it helps the songs in the feelings they capture, sounds a bit unnatural in places because of the nature of the cassette recording.
The songs on the album all fit well together. A lot of the songs are mellow while only a few are upbeat. This isn’t a bad thing, since I personally really enjoy mellow music, but without the variation it does have the unfortunate effect of making some of the early songs blend together on first listen. The last song, “Livin’ The Dream” also finishes with a gang vocal that feels out of place with the mood that the rest of the album builds up. It caught me by surprise when I first heard it.
Overall, it’s a remarkable effort for Ken Pomeroy, and she has made a new fan! I’m interested to see what she does in the future, and where her path in music will take her.
